


A Bad, Bad Boy

by Tokiji



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I'm in too deep please send help, Love Triangle, Lukanette, adrienette - Freeform, i can't decide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-16 04:47:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14157090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tokiji/pseuds/Tokiji
Summary: Which would you choose: A boy who doesn't notice your affections and only sees you as "just a friend", or a boy who obviously likes you and is actually trying to win your heart?Hmm. Tough call, ain't it?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to, okay?

The sun felt nice and warm on that afternoon. The birds were chirping, the grass was swaying in the breeze - everything was marvelous.

 

Marinette sat with her friends around a table, enjoying lunch and each others’ company. They were laughing about something that Alya had said, with Rose getting so into it that she had tears in her eyes.

 

Ah, such a joyous day. What could go wrong?

 

Once their giggles subsided, another topic was brought up by none other than Juleka. “Hey, Marinette?” She addressed her.

 

“Yeah?” Marinette replied, taking a sip from her soda.

 

“My brother was wondering if he could get your number.”

 

“ _PPFFFTHHHH!”_

 

Marinette spluttered on her drink, immediately coughing and cringing at the burning sensation in her nose from how the soda had flew up rather than down her throat. Mylene thumped her back and tried to calm her down, while Rose handed her a tissue.

 

Alya raised a knowing eyebrow, a smirk gracing her features, and took the forsaken soda from her best friend. “Girl, what has gotten into you?” She asked.

 

“I-I was ahh…” She coughed again. “I was just surprised.”

 

“Here.” Rose gave her another tissue, to which Marinette thanked her for. “Are you okay now?”

 

“Y-Yeah, uh, fine.” Rubbing her nose of the remaining mess she caused, she turned back to Juleka with a sheepish expression. “W-Wha- err, what were you saying, Juleka?”

 

“I said,” Juleka smiled this time, a playful glint shining in her eyes, and it made Marinette even more flustered because _that little glint did not appear often._ “My big brother wants your number.”

 

Upon hearing her statement, Marinette instinctively turned red and stuttered with her words. “Wha- who- aha, w-why would he? Agh, I mean not that he _can't_ or anything, just uhh, it's strange don't you think? I just met him a couple of days ago and w-we weren’t all that close aha-”

 

“Marinette,” Alya clapped her shoulder. “Breathe.”

 

She did what she was told. Breathe in, breathe out, and freak out some more.

 

But before she could continue her rant, Rose squealed in delight. “Oohh, that's so romantic! Did your brother say anything else, Juleka?”

 

“He said he likes Marinette's hair.” Juleka shrugged before biting into her burger.

 

“He said _what_?!” Marinette’s knee jerked abruptly, hence making it bang into the table. “Oowww, ow ow ow.”

 

The other girls laughed heartily at the display. “Yo, girl, you gotta chill right now, okay?” Alya snorted. “Adrien might hear you!”

 

And here she thought that she couldn't sink any lower into mortification. Well, she couldn't always be right. She groaned dejectedly and covered her face with her hands.

 

“Alya, we shouldn’t tease her like that,” Mylene chided.

 

Oh bless her angelic soul!

 

“We should save it for the good part!” Mylene clasped her hands and crooned. “Come on, Marinette, can he have your number or what?”

 

“Nooo, Mylene!” Marinette protested. “You’re supposed to be the nice one in the group!”

 

“Oh, I am nice.” Mylene pouted. “I’m not the one recording this conversation.”

 

And to her absolute horror, she saw Alya, phone in hand and camera angled at her direction. The redhead waved cheekily with her free hand.

 

“ALYA!!!” Marinette made a move to swipe the device out of her grasps, but Alya dodged her, a cackle of pure evil escaping her lips at her futile struggles.

 

Another round of giggles from the girls was followed by a series of whimpers from Marinette.

 

“Relaaax,” Alya drawled and flipped her phone around, showing a black screen. “I was just messing with you.”

 

“Oh, thank goodness!” Marinette cried. And then she turned to her and glared. “But I’m still going to murder you. _All_ of you.”

 

“Hey, it was a legitimate question.” Juleka brushed her long bangs out of her face and regarded her more seriously. “He’s been bugging me to spill your contact. But I can't really do that without your consent.”

 

“In all honesty, I really think you should've just given it to him,” Alya snickered. “If only to give little Mari a heart attack when he calls her.”

 

“Murder,” Marinette mumbled. “Pure, pure murder.”

 

“Nahh,” Juleka shrugged. “I like messing with him when I can.”

 

“But tell us _why_ he wants her number!” Rose piped up, far too enthusiastic for Marinette's comfort.

 

“Well, after some teasing and torture,” Juleka twirled her straw and grinned. “He admitted that he wanted to hang out with her.”

 

“Oooohhhhh!!”

 

“And then, and then?!” Mylene buzzed.

 

“Aaaand he, well, how should I say it…” Juleka spun her index finger in the air, as if she was going to zap poor Marinette into a bug with some black magic. “He kinda likes you.”

 

She could've sworn that all of her blood instantly gushed out of her nose that very second, like in anime. But, strangely, she was fine. Err, physically. Mentally? She had completely shut down, all coherent thoughts flying out of the window and leaving only hot steam running around in her frazzled brain.

 

Alya snapped her fingers in front of her eyes. “Earth to Mari? Hello?”

 

“Guhh…”

 

Alya turned to the rest of their friends. “Meh. She’ll be fine.”

 

“I’ll take your word for it.” Juleka stared at their malfunctioning friend. “But, she still hasn't answered the question…”

 

“She’ll say yes.” Alya sighed fondly at the sight of Rose and Mylene trying to fan a frothing Marinette with handkerchiefs. “Eh, eventually.”

 

“Aren't you worried, though?” Juleka suddenly asked. “You know, about her and Adrien?”

 

She paused. “That's up to her to decide.” After a beat of silence, she added quietly, “I just want Marinette to be happy, is all.”

 

Juleka smiled. “We all do.”


	2. Of Phones and Blushes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The insane amount of support for the first chapter was so UNBELIEVABLE that I just had to post the next chapter in like a day.

Her head was spinning. The world was spinning. That trashcan was spinning.  _ Why _ was everything  _ spinning _ ?!

 

She felt like she was going to be sick. Or high. Either one didn't sound very pleasant to her at that moment, for she was trying to get educated goddammit! She did not need these useless thoughts to solve her math questions. And yet here she was, idly twirling - oh shit it was  _ spinning too?! - _ her stylus around her fingers and just generally being a potato in class.

 

What was  _ wrong _ with her? Surely Juleka didn't really mean what she said, did she? The goth must've been pulling her leg. No way was Luka actually interested in  _ her _ , right? He was cool, calm and collected, super sweet, handsome…

 

She involuntarily sighed, her eyes getting more and more distant as time went by-

 

“Marinette.” Alya nudged her, effectively prying her out of her own trance.

 

The dark-haired girl blinked. “Uh, yeah?”

 

“Class is dismissed.” Alya chuckled. “Didn't you hear the bell?”

 

Did she? Was there a bell? What bell? If what she meant was wedding bells, then yeah, sure, she heard them, but-

 

“Yooo, Mari, snap out of it!” Alya slapped her shoulder none too gently.

 

“Ow! Alya, what gives?” Marinette slapped her arm in retribution.

 

“You were spacing out! Again.” Alya rolled her eyes and groaned. “And to think we’ve gone past this cycle months ago. Oh well. Back to square one.”

 

“What are you even talking about?” Marinette sniffed and turned her head away, if only to hide her creeping blush.

 

“Oh, don't be such a baby about it, girl.” Alya poked her. “I know it, you know it, and  _ they _ know it.” Alya pointed a thumb behind her, at their group of friends who were so not supposed to have those silly grins on their faces.

 

“W-Whatever, I  _ still  _ don't know what you're talking about.” Gathering all of her stuff, she walked with them out of the classroom. “And I’ve told you, there's only one statue that drives my compas crazy.”

 

“Not anymoooore.”

 

“Oh, shut uuuup.” Marinette was growing redder by the minute. “Can we not talk about this right now?”

 

“But I want to.” Juleka raised her hand. The other girls voiced out their agreement as well. Traitors!

 

“Guys, seriously.” Marinette growled. “I am  _ not _ interested in Luka. He’s just a friend.”

 

“Say that to your sketches of him.” Alya snickered.

 

Marinette gave her the stink eye. “Murder,” she mumbled quietly.

 

Juleka sighed behind them. “Oh well. I guess I’ll have to deny him your number, then?”

 

Marinette twitched.

 

“Oh, but he’ll be so disappointed!” Rose wailed.

 

“Can't be helped.” Juleka patted her tiny friend's head. “We can't force her.”

 

Marinette's head sunk lower into her collar.

 

“Guys, wait!” Mylene suddenly cried.

 

Everyone's attention immediately turned to her. “What is it, Mylene?” Marinette asked, perplexed.

 

The other girl was pale and shaking as she hid behind Alya. She pointed a finger ahead of them, down the stairs that led to the road in front of the school.

 

And sure enough, there was someone down there. The person was sitting on a black, heavy-looking motorcycle. They were wearing a helmet over their head, hiding their face from the people around them. Their clothes were dark and rather intimidating.

 

“I-I’ve never seen anyone like that before,” Mylene murmured softly, still taking refuge behind the redhead.

 

“Well, you have a point.” Alya conceded.

 

“D-Do you guys think they're d-d-dangerous?” Mylene gulped.

 

Marinette squinted at the person in question. They were holding something that looked like a phone, and they seemed to be too focused on it to have realized their presence. After a moment, she shrugged. “I think they're okay? They're not really acting that suspicious,” Marinette said. She’s seen a lot of bad guys throughout her career as Ladybug, so she was pretty certain that this particular person wasn't one of them.

 

“Hey, hold on a second…” Rose whispered, tilting her head. She turned to Juleka. “Isn't that…?”

 

“Oh! You’re right.” Juleka thumped her fist on her open palm. “Mylene, it's okay. He’s not a kidnapper.”

 

“How do you know?” Mylene asked, unconvinced, but she still came out from her hiding place nonetheless.

 

“Because,” Juleka pointed to the vehicle that the person was sitting on. “That's my brother’s motorcycle.”

 

“Y-Your brother?” Marinette found herself floundering. “Luka?”

 

“Yeah. And that's his jacket, too.” Juleka smiled. “So, it's safe now, Mylene.”

 

Mylene sighed in relief. “Phew. For a second there I thought-” Abruptly, Mylene stopped herself. She raised an eyebrow at Juleka. “But, I’ve never seen him here. Is something up?”

 

“Only one way to find out,” Alya answered. “Come on!”

 

“Whoa, whoa,  _ all _ of us?” Marinette squeaked. “Uh, he’s probably here for Juleka, so I’m just gonna-”

 

“Nope.” With a firm grip on her best friend's arm, Alya dragged her down the stairs and towards the person waiting at the bottom.

 

There was no time to protest. In just a few heartbeats, they were already at the last step. Speaking of heartbeats, where was Marinette's?

 

Juleka snatched the phone from the boy’s hands, eliciting a startled yelp from him. “What are you doing here?” Juleka questioned. 

 

“What?” His voice rang out from inside the helmet. With both hands, he pulled it off, finally showing his face. A playful smirk was decorating his handsome features. Electric blue eyes sparkling, and even bluer hair ruffling in the breeze, he really did look cool today-

 

Oh, her heartbeat. There it was. But why was it going so fast?!

 

“I said,” Juleka rolled her eyes and waved the phone in the air, exasperated. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I heard you the first time, little sis.” He chuckled. “Can't I be a good brother and pick you up from school?”

 

“You never pick me up.”

 

“Well, that should change, then!”

 

“Ugh.” Juleka was about to hand him his phone back when she took a look at the screen. She snorted. “Angry Birds? Really, bro?”

 

His dark skin was instantly splattered with pink. “S-Shut up, it’s a good game, okay?” He grabbed the device with a grunt, scowling when Juleka and the others giggled. His roaming eyes finally settled on Marinette, still giggling softly behind her fingers. He smiled. “Oh, hello there, Marinette.” He waved a hand at her direction.

 

Okay. Fun time was over. Because she felt like somebody had just promptly  _ shot  _ her in the chest. She fumbled with her tongue, trying desperately to get a coherent sentence out, but all that came was a series of, “Ah- um- aha”. After a couple of tries, she settled with a simple “Hey!” followed by a wave in return.

 

“And hello to you, Rose.” He waved at the petite blonde, who in turn greeted him cheerfully. “Aaand, um, girls whom I do not know the names of yet.” He turned to Alya and Mylene with an apologetic nod.

 

“Alya, creator of the Ladyblog.” Alya saluted. “'Sup.”

 

“Mylene, the mom-friend.” Mylene waved.

 

“Cool. Nice to meet you all.” Luka turned to his sister. “So, home?”

 

“Sure.” Juleka took the awaiting helmet nestled on the seat behind him.

 

But before she could put it on, Luka asked, “Did you get that errand I asked yesterday?”

 

“Errand? What er-” Juleka’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oooh,  _ that  _ errand.” Her copper eyes darted briefly to Marinette. “Um, sorry.” She winced. “I didn't get to-”

 

“Ah, she did!” Marinette quickly interjected.

 

All eyes were immediately upon her.

 

Uh-oh. Oooh no, what did she just do? She hadn't meant to blurt that out! Trying to play it casual, she laughed and scratched the back of her head. “Aah, I mean, don't you remember, Juleka? You got it this afternoon.”

 

“I did?” When her confused expression didn't waver, Alya elbowed her and gave her a look. “Oh! Oh, um, yeah, I did.”

 

“Really?” Luka exclaimed, clearly pleased. His radiant smile was back as he turned to Marinette, causing her to have a damn heart failure for a quick second. “That's great to hear.”

 

Marinette swallowed roughly. Why was her stomach doing funny flips? Was this healthy? Should she go to the ER? Could Luka give her a ride to the hospital, she wondered?

 

But all too soon, his gaze was once again locked on his sister. “Okay, then. Let's get home so you can give it to me.”

 

“Who said I’m gonna give it to you that easily?” Juleka stuck out her tongue and waggled her eyebrows.

 

“Little sis!” Luka gasped, feigning hurt with a hand clutching his shirt. “How could you be so cruel to your own flesh and blood?”

 

“Oh, and who are you again?”

 

It was Luka’s turn to stick out his tongue at his sibling.

 

The other girls couldn't help but giggle again at their antics. Well, almost all of them.

 

Marinette was the only one frozen in place. She blinked, forced air to enter and exit her body, tried desperately to function but it was proving to be quite impossible with each passing second. Because…

 

Because Luka.

 

Had a fucking.

 

_ Tongue piercing _ !

 

That was just unfair. So, so unfair! She hadn't noticed it on the first day they met! And to have it forcibly smacked into her eyes and burned to the center of her memory was just too much to process all at once.

 

She bit her own tongue unconsciously, to keep her from squealing or something else, she didn't know. All she could comprehend was that she felt very, very thirsty.

 

And as the two siblings sped away, all she could do was raise her hand in goodbye, eyes still glazed over and unfocused.

 

Alya was cackling next to her. “Oh, he’s just  _ so _ sweet, isn't he, Marinette?” Silence. “Marinette?” More silence.

 

“Oh, no.” Alya sighed. “Come on, Mylene, help me carry her legs. Rose, look out for traffic.”

 

~0~0~

 

“Marinette?” Tikki chirped from her spot on the cookie plate. Wiping crumbs from her small mouth, she floated over to her charge, who had been staring at her phone for the past three hours. “Marinette, you're going to ruin your eyesight.”

 

“I ate extra carrots for dinner,” Marinette said. “I’ll be fine.”

 

Tikki sighed, but still smiled fondly. Settling herself on Marinette's shoulder, she buzzed happily against her cheek. “I’m happy for this change of pace, you know.”

 

“What do you mean?” Putting her warm phone down on the mattress, she averted her attention to her kwami.

 

“I mean this.” The little one gestured to her phone. “It's refreshing that you found a nice boy that likes you back.”

 

For the tenth time that day, Marinette blushed. She twirled her dark hair around her finger self-consciously. “He didn't say that he  _ does _ like me, though,” she murmured gently. 

 

“Oh, but what does that matter?” Tikki giggled. “The most important thing is how he treats you, not what he says or not say.”

 

The red in her cheeks grew more pronounced, and yet she still found it in herself to join her friend's laughter. “I guess.”

 

A short pause. “But you still like Adrien, don't you?” Tikki asked softly, much like a mother.

 

At this, Marinette groaned and buried her face into her pillow. “Yeah,” she eventually replied.

 

“That's also okay, Marinette.” Tikki patted her head. “Humans are very complex, especially with their emotions. You don't have to question it too much, at least not right now.”

 

“I just feel confused.” Marinette rolled over onto her back, frowning. “And happy. And… well, mostly just confused. I don't know.”

 

“Like I said,” Tikki nuzzled her cheek again, successfully bringing a genuine smile out from her chosen. “Don't think about it too much. You’ll have plenty of time to decipher it  _ after _ you experience all this first.”

 

“Hmm. You’re right, Tikki. Thank you.” Marinette scratched Tikki’s head with her index finger, feeling oh so thankful to have such a wise creature in her life to-

 

A ping from her phone.

 

“Aaaahhhh!” Marinette screamed, lunging for her phone and turning it on.

 

Tikki gave a crooked smile. Better to leave the human interactions to said humans. And with that, she flew away to her stash of cookies on the desk.

 

Marinette excitedly opened the new text. It was from an unknown number.

 

_ Unknown : Hey. It's Luka. _

 

Marinette couldn't help the goofy grin that spread over her face. Propping her chin on her fist, she contemplated her reply.

 

_ Marinette : I’m sorry, who? _

 

She giggled stupidly before adding his number to her contacts.

 

_ Luka : Uhh… is this not Marinette’s number? _

 

_ Marinette : lol I’m messing with you. Yeah, it's me. _

 

_ Luka : Oh thank god. I was about to strangle my sister if she actually gave me a false number. _

 

_ Marinette : Juleka looks like she could strangle you back tho. _

 

_ Luka : You have no idea :P _

 

_ Luka : Uh, she didn't say anything _

 

_ Luka : WEIRD, did she? _

 

Marinette thought back to their conversation during lunch, fighting and losing to hold a flustered squeal at bay. She shouldn't really bring it up on the first day, should she?

 

_ Marinette : Depends. What kind of weird? _

 

_ Luka : Oh, I don't know _

 

_ Luka : Something embarrassing? _

 

_ Marinette : I can't really imagine you having something to be embarrassed about. _

 

… Okay did she just type that? Shiiiiiit. It was too late. He’d read it.

 

_ Luka : You’d be surprised lol _

 

_ Luka : Anyways. Did she? _

 

Marinette chewed on her lower lip. Exhaling, she braced herself and started typing.

 

_ Marinette : She said you liked my hair. _

 

There was a pause after he read it, followed by three little dots that taunted her. They popped up for a second, and then disappeared, and then popped up again. Was he nervous? The thought made her relax a bit. At least she wasn't the only one getting cold feet.

 

_ Luka : Well. I did mention that to her. _

 

Taking a deep breath, she plopped her face into her thickest pillow and let out a brutal shriek into it.

 

“Marinette,” Tikki called from the first level. “Is everything alright?”

 

“Peachy!” Marinette squeaked.

 

“Okay!”

 

She forced herself to calm down. She could do this. Gulping down her anxiousness, she replied back.

 

_ Marinette : Aww, thank you. I like yours too :) _

 

_ Luka : Thanks! _

 

_ Luka : Anything else? _

 

She clucked. Should she?

 

_ Marinette : Nahh, you're good. _

 

_ Luka : Phew _

 

_ Luka : No murder for tonight then :D _

 

_ Marinette : Good! _

 

_ Marinette : I rather like your sister so that's a relief. _

 

_ Luka : lol _

 

_ Luka : Oh, I gotta go. Mom’s calling me. TTYL? _

 

_ Marinette : Sure! Bye :) _

 

_ Luka : And Marinette? _

 

_ Marinette : Yes? _

 

_ Luka : Would it be awfully weird if we _

 

_ Luka : You know _

 

_ Luka : Hung out sometime? _

 

_ Luka : There's this concert coming up and I was wondering if you wanted to go? _

 

_ Luka : With me, that is _

 

Marinette stared at the text message. She scrolled up and reread it, just to make sure that she hadn't read it all wrong. And after confirming that  _ hell yes _ it was all very real, she shot to her feet, still on her bed, and shouted her explicit excitement, all the while jumping up and down her abused bed springs.

 

Luka Couffaine.

 

Asked her  _ out _ !!

 

“Whoooooo, okay, okay,” Marinette mumbled, but her eagerness was not subsiding. “Come on, you can do this. Be cool, be cool.”

 

_ Marinette : Sounds fun ;) _

 

_ Luka : Great! Bye now _

 

_ Marinette : Bye~ _

 

She flung herself back onto her sheets, her body bouncing once before finally settling itself into a state of stillness. Phone clasped tightly over her pounding chest, she gazed at her ceiling, as if it was the most wonderful thing in the world.

 

Tikki soon joined her. The tiny god sat daintily on the pillow next to her. “It went well, I presume?” She inquired.

 

“ _ Yes _ ,” Marinette basically breathed. “It went very well, Tikki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys SO MUCH for your excitement towards this humble fanfic. I'll do my best to not let any of you down! Until next time :D


	3. You Work Here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so not used to updating so fast, but I couldn't resist this particular chapter! Hope you enjoy :D

“He  _ what _ ?” Alya asked incredulously. Her jaw dropped when her best friend only gave her a sheepish grin, confirming that she hadn't heard her wrong. “He just- just… asked you? Off the bat?”

 

“Yeessss!”

 

“Oh my gooood.” Alya sat back, her face the definition of dumbstruck. “Girl, like, whoa?”

 

“Yeah.” Marinette scoffed as she looked to the side, her gaze growing unfocused. “Whoa.”

 

A pause from Alya, and then a thump to the back. “Atta girl. I’m proud of you.”

 

“For what?” Marinette resumed eye contact with her before raising an eyebrow. 

 

“For finally getting a hold of your love life for once!”

 

“Alya!”

 

“What? I speak only the truth.” 

 

Marinette snorted. “I-It’s not like  _ I _ was the one that took the initiative.” She kicked a pebble that stood idly on the sidewalk, watching as other students entered the building.

 

It had been a shock for Alya to actually see her  _ early _ for school, not to mention when Marinette had basically dragged her out of the classroom to talk. But she couldn't wait for lunch. She just  _ had _ to get this out, and she knew Alya was the best candidate to console her properly. So now, they were sitting on the large steps that led to Dupont, inconspicuous and yet still trying to keep their voices down for any unwanted ears.

 

“Initiative or not, you agreed to go. It's still progress.” Alya elbowed her. “And I completely agree with this second bachelor of yours. Good choice.”

 

Marinette instantly turned pink. She pouted and looked away. “Alya…”

 

“Hey, I’m serious. Luka’s a great guy. And he obviously likes you back.”

 

“H-He didn't… he didn't actually  _ say _ that to me. So, that doesn't really count.”

 

“Pssh. Words, words. That boy doesn't need any, remember?”

 

Marinette found herself smiling as the memory of him playing the tune of her heart with his guitar sprung into her mind. With just his music alone, he brought her a feeling that she'd never experienced before. It was strange, unnerving, and yet all so beautiful at the same time.

 

She felt… understood.

 

Like, she didn't have to try to explain herself, or to show him what she was made of, so unlike how she usually presented herself as both Marinette and Ladybug. With Luka… there was nothing  _ to _ present. She was just her, and nothing less.

 

Pinching her cheek to rid her of a goofy grin, she puckered her lips and furrowed her brows to the ground. “But…” She trailed off.

 

“But?”

 

“But what about Adrien?” 

 

Alya sighed, but didn't say anything immediately. She laid back on the steps above her, making Marinette wonder how she could possibly stand the edges digging into her spine like that. “I don't know about that, to be honest.”

 

“Aren't we, like, your OTP or something?”

 

“Duh. You still are.”

 

“Buuuut?”

 

Another sigh. “Marinette, I don't know because as much as I want to see you and Adrien together with three kids, I also want you to be happy _ now _ , and not in, what, ten years time?”

 

When Marinette didn't reply, Alya straightened up, lying a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Listen… what I’m trying to say is that I just want what's best for you. Adrien is a sweet guy, but it's been so long, Mari. Maybe if we try a bit harder, he’ll finally like you back. But odds are… that may not happen for a while.”

 

Marinette nodded, if not a bit solemnly. “I know.”

 

“And Luka. He’s such a great match for you, girl.” Alya squeezed her shoulder, successfully making the dark-haired girl turn to her again. Alya smiled. “You have a really, really good chance here, Marinette.”

 

Patting the hand that rested on her, Marinette gave a tiny smile, but it was real nonetheless. “I know,” she whispered.

 

“Then, whaddya say? Wanna give it a shot?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’d… I'd like that, actually.”

 

“Good!” Alya shot to her feet, startling Marinette. “Because I know the perfect shade of lipstick for you to wear at the concert!”

 

“Alya, it’s still… uhh, not sure when exactly, but it's not that urgent yet!”

 

“Oh, please! I’m pretty sure he meant that rock concert happening downtown. It’s, give or take, twelve days away! We gotta prepare you!”

 

“Even if you're right, it's  _ two weeks _ !” Marinette laughed as she got up as well. “Waaaay too early.”

 

“Oh, trust me, you’ll thank me later.” Swinging an arm around her friend, she guided them through the doors and towards their class. “OH! We  _ have  _ to ask Juleka for some pointers. And maybe ask Mylene to let us borrow one of her bandanas. Hmm, let's see…”

 

“Alya, it’s a concert, not a wedding.”

 

“Gotta start off with something, right?”

 

“Start what?” A male voice rang out.

 

Both girls jumped at the intrusion. Sitting on his desk and looking at them expectantly was none other than Adrien.

 

Blinking out of her stupor, Marinette giggled nervously, all the while fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “Oh! Um, just uhh…” She instinctively looked to Alya, but to her confusion, the redhead just smiled crookedly before tilting her head to Adrien's direction. Even without any words between them, Marinette knew the silent message.  _ Go get him. _ “Um, actually, we were talking about this concert coming up soon.” Marinette silently patted herself on the back for this little victory.

 

“Concert? Sounds fun!” Adrien said. “Are you guys going?”

 

“Marinette is.” Alya shrugged, laying the drama a bit thick as she laid a hand on her forehead with her eyes closed. “And it's not with me.”

 

“What? Why?” Adrien couldn't help but be curious.

 

“Ah, it's uhh…” Marinette glared briefly at Alya, but the spotlight was on her now, so she smoothed out her expression quickly. “I’m… going with someone else.”

 

“You are?” Adrien cocked his head to the side, clearly even more confused.

 

“Y-Yeah.” Marinette scratched her neck, feeling a bit warm all of a sudden. “I umm…”  _ Come on, say it. Say it!  _ “I-I-I have a date!”

 

_ Yeessss!! _

 

“Wow, that's great!” Adrien beamed. “But darn, it won't be as fun without you in the group, though.”

 

Despite herself, she still had enough hormones to blush at his comment.

 

“You still have us, bro!” Nino interjected. “Right, Alya?”

 

“ _ If _ you can score us some tickets,” Alya rebuffed, smiling.

 

“Nooo problem! Three tickets, coming right up!” Nino turned to Marinette. “Should I get yours too, or does your 'date’ have them already?”

 

“Um, I’m not actually sure? I haven't asked him yet.” She made a mental note to check in with Luka about that. “But if I do need the help, I’ll give the signal.”

 

Nino gave her finger guns before he went back to his and Adrien's previous conversation. Alya and her in turn went to their seats.

 

Though, not long after Marinette sat down, her phone pinged in her pocket. “Oh, no, I forgot to put it on silent.” She fished her pesky phone out and was about to do her initial job when she noticed who the text was from. Luka?

 

Holding back a squeal, she tapped the message open. Alya was busy with her own phone, so she wasn't looking at her. Good, no prying reporter eyes.

 

_ Luka : Morning. Class started yet? _

 

Marinette unconsciously smiled. A new wave of warmth filled her chest at the randomness of his words. How endearing, she thought.

 

_ Marinette : In a few minutes _

 

_ Marinette : What’s up? _

 

_ Luka : I’m dying in my own class rn _

 

_ Luka : Help me D: _

 

She quickly masked her scoff as a sneeze, to not alert anyone, especially the person next to her. This boy was just something else.

 

_ Marinette : Too bad :p _

 

_ Marinette : And speaking of bad, you shouldn't text in class! Tisk tisk _

 

_ Luka : Not my fault that physics is boring.. _

 

_ Luka : It’s been 5 minutes _

 

_ Luka : My brain is melting already _

 

_ Marinette : Aww, poor baby _

 

_ Luka : Well, anyways, still on for that concert? _

 

_ Luka : It’s two more weeks tho _

 

Huh, so Alya's guess was right. Damn psychic-reporter powers.

 

_ Marinette : Can't wait! _

 

_ Luka : It's on Saturday _

 

_ Luka : Pick you up at 7? _

 

_ Marinette : Great! Do you have the tickets yet? _

 

_ Luka : Of course :) _

 

Alya abruptly nudged her, causing her to flinch. She was about to ask why when she caught the teacher coming in through the door. Cursing, she sent a quick goodbye text to Luka before stowing her phone into her bag.

 

“Oookay, tell me that wasn't who I think it was.” Alya snickered quietly as she opened her tablet.

 

Marinette blushed reflexively, her cover being blown just like that.  _ Damn _ her psychic-reporter powers! She did the smartest thing for the situation, which was sticking out her tongue at her best friend.

 

The action made her pause though, despite Alya not really responding besides rolling her eyes. No, it was because it reminded her of a certain someone with a freaking tongue piercing!

 

She gulped as the image invaded her mind. It really was unfair that he had it. It was so  _ distracting _ , dammit. The shiny ball of metal glistening on his pink tongue, just outright teasing her and beckoning her over. She wondered silently if it hurt, or if it bothered him as he ate something, or if it was a convenient catalyst when he kissed somebody-

 

Okay. Thoughts over. Shut everything down. She did not need this right now. Nope, nope.

 

… Well. A few more minutes wouldn't kill her.

 

~0~0~

 

“Girls?” Alya whispered, eyeing their pigtailed friend as she sauntered off to go to the bathroom. Once she was out of earshot, Alya smacked both palms onto their lunch table, surprising the rest of her friends. “ _ Code red. _ I repeat:  _ Code red _ !”

 

“Um, what's code red again?” Rose asked.

 

“Marinette is in a love crisis!” Alya hissed.

 

“Ohhh.” Rose nodded in understanding. Her blue eyes popped open, panicked, a second later. “Wait, what?!”

 

“What happened?” Mylene inquired.

 

“Luka asked her out.”

 

A chorus of gasps.

 

“And she said  _ yes _ .”

 

“Juleka, did you know about this?” Rose turned to her dearest friend.

 

“W-Well, not specifically…” Juleka twiddled her fingers. “But, he did look super happy last night.”

 

“Uh-huh.” Alya gripped her chin, deep in thought. “What else?”

 

“He just mentioned during dinner that he was going to a concert with someone.”

 

“Let me guess.” Mylene folded her arms on the table. “It was Marinette.”

 

“Yeah.” Alya took a deep breath before looking at her gang of girl friends. “You know what that means?”

 

“Umm, Marinette needs a pair of earplugs?” Rose guessed.

 

“ _ No. _ It means that we gotta do everything in our power to make their date a success!”

 

“And how are we gonna do that?” Juleka raised an eyebrow.

 

“Well, the endgame would be that we have to make her look smoking hot for the concert.” Alya tapped her fingers against her cheek, her expression turning into one of contemplation. “But that's not gonna be enough. We've learned from past missions that she's hopeless when it comes to talking with her crush.”

 

The others mumbled in agreement, some wincing at the memories of said missions.

 

“Which is why we gotta think. Think about how we’re gonna make them closer together before the concert.”

 

“Like, set them up on other dates?” Rose suggested.

 

“ _ No _ , that-” Alya blinked. And blinked again. She turned to the blonde in shock. “Hey, that's actually a great idea!”

 

“It is?” Rose gaped. “Wow, it is!!”

 

“Yes! We make them 'accidentally’ bump into each other, and when they do,  _ boom _ , they strike up a conversation and Marinette  _ has _ to get used to talking to him. We just gotta make it a regular occurrence!”

 

“But how?” Juleka frowned now, idly fingering her purple hair. “My brother goes to another school. He has band practice on a lot of nights.”

 

Alya, followed by the rest of the girls, hummed in thought.

 

Juleka had a point. It wasn't like it would be  _ that _ easy to get those two together. If it were Adrien, they’d have a multitude of ways to go about it. Unfortunately, this was Luka Couffaine that they were talking about. Went to another school… band practice… has a motorcycle…

 

Alya suddenly smirked, which brought the attention of the others. She laughed softly as she rubbed her palms together, a series of plans already being concocted in her head. “I think we can work with that,” Alya murmured, a hint of a laugh ending her sentence.

 

~0~0~

 

It was no secret that he was bummed out for not being able to go to Juleka’s school that afternoon. He had promised that he would make it a habit to pick his little sister up, but today was an exception apparently, for his mother had asked him to repair the sail of their boat-house. He was not one to whine to his parent, so he had done it, though with a sad pout throughout the process.

 

He wanted to see Marinette today. That was no secret either.

 

With one last sigh and a wipe to his brow, he finished his job, and not a moment too soon.

 

“Luka?” He heard a familiar voice call out from below.

 

“Yeah?” He yelled back. He peered down from his precarious position, spotting his sister instantly.

 

“I want a croissant!”

 

He blinked. What? “Hold on a sec, I’ll be right down!” He informed her. Once he was standing on the deck, he looked at his sister as if she had just grown a second head. “Uh, what did you say earlier?”

 

“I want a croissant,” she said again.

 

Okay. That was new. “Uhh, why?”

 

“Because I’m hungry.” Juleka rolled her eyes. “Can you go buy me some?”

 

“Sureeee?” Still unnerved by her weird request, he made a move to retrieve his jacket that he had left behind to do his chore. “Any preferences?”

 

“That bakery near my school. You know which one, right?”

 

“Boulangerie Patisserie?”

 

“Yeah, that's the one.” Juleka patted his shoulder but retracted her hand instantly when she made contact with his sweaty skin. “Umm, are you not gonna take a sho-” abruptly, she stopped herself. Luka raised an even more baffled eyebrow. What was up with her? “You know what, never mind. Just get me a snack.”

 

“Sheesh, you're in a mood today.” Shrugging on his jacket, he ignored his sticky arms and neck and went to grab his keys. It was just a quick errand, after all. “Period?”

 

“Whatever.” She rolled her eyes. But a suspicious-looking smile was tugging at her lips. “Just take your time.”

 

…

 

Now she was making no sense. She wanted him to get a move on, and then she tells him that he doesn't have to rush. What a weird PMS day for her. Ignoring her, he made a quick jog to his motorcycle, turned the engine on, and sped away into the evening air.

 

The bakery was lit warmly as he remembered, the aroma of freshly baked goods tickling his nose even when he stopped to park his vehicle. The smell was even more heavenly when he opened the door.

 

Alright, then. Croissant, croissant, croissa-

 

A loud squeak rang through the room, making him jump. He looked right and left for the sound, thinking for a moment that he was imagining things until he saw it.

 

Well, saw  _ her _ , to be more precise.

 

Marinette stood with a tray filled with bread, a cute pink apron tied snugly around her waist, and a cheek powdered with flour. And she was looking directly at him.

 

Breath caught in his throat, he could only stare at her.

 

“L-L-Luka?” She stammered.

 

Upon hearing her voice, he stood up straighter, flashing her a smile. “Oh, hi, Marinette!” He waved. “Wow, fancy seeing you here.” _ Really, Couffaine? _ He groaned inwardly, but still maintained his smile. “Um, I didn't know you worked here.”

 

“Oh, I uhh- um…” Ah, the stutter. How cute. “Not that I actually  _ work _ here, per se. Uhh, I’m really just a, uh, how do you say it, ummm…” 

 

Stuffing his hands in his jeans, he walked up to her, if only to hear her better. All those years of listening to Juleka’s quiet mumbles only did so much for his hearing abilities, after all. But apparently he made a wrong move, for she jumped at the new proximity, nearly tipping her tray if not for his swift reflexes. He gripped the tray with one hand and her elbow with the other, steadying her.

 

“Whoa, you okay?” He asked, concerned.

 

“Okay I am- err, I mean! I’m okay.” Marinette cleared her throat. Her eyes refused to meet his.

 

Slowly, he released his hold on her, hyper alert at how frantic the sound of her heart was. Or was that his own? Either way, he took a step back, raising his hand to scratch the back of his head-

 

Oh, noooo. He was still grossly damp from his afternoon out in the sun. He must've stunk pretty badly, and his hair was sticking to his neck. So that was why Juleka insisted that he went there without taking a bath first. Oh, when he got home…

 

He took a deep, calming breath. No need to dwell on that right now.

 

“Right, so,” Luka started hesitantly. “If you ‘don't actually  _ work _ here, per se.’” A smile tugged the corner of his lips at the sight of her scowling, clearly not impressed with his parroting. “What are you doing here?”

 

“I live here.” She shrugged nonchalantly before setting the tray on the counter.

 

Luka’s eyes widened. “Y-You  _ live  _ here? This is  _ your _ bakery?” Oh, Juleka was gonna get it now. “That's pretty cool!”

 

“Well, it's my parents’ bakery, but yeah, you get the idea.” Finally, a small grin stretched over her face. “And what brings  _ you _ here?”

 

“Croissants,” he explained simply. “Speaking of, where are…?”

 

“Oh, they're over here.” She pointed to a display section at the other end of the shop, and sure enough, the delicious pastries were sitting there warm and ready. “So, you and croissants like- ah, I mean, you like croissants?”

 

“Sure,” Luka answered after a pause. He didn't favor them in particular, but suddenly he felt quite fond of them. In fact, the longer he stayed there, the stronger his urge was to grab all of them. How odd. He chanced a glance at the girl, and to his surprise, she was staring at him. “Are you alright?” He unconsciously asked.

 

His question seemed to startle her. “Uh- wh-what do you mean?”

 

“Your melody is really out of tune right now.” He pointed to her person, to where her heart should be. “If I had my guitar with me, I’d show you, but…”

 

Marinette blinked rapidly. A bright pink color flooded her cheeks as she clutched her shirt, her eyes once again avoiding his. “I-It’s probably n-n-nothing.”

 

He stared at her for a second longer. He didn't know why, or what force had driven him to say what he was about to say, but he couldn't stop the words from spilling out of his mouth at that moment. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, I can leave.”

 

And the instant he blurted that out, he regretted it. The sight of her face falling and turning pale, her jaw dropping open, a hint of shame swimming in her bluebell eyes - it pained him, much more than he would think. His breath swooshed out of him, and he reached out for her, to hold her and apologize-

 

But he didn't have the chance to do that. 

 

Because the next thing he knew, Marinette was already rambling. “I-I’m  _ so  _ sorry, I don't know why I’m acting so weird around you, it’s just that you're so  _ cute _ , a-and so sweet and cool and I-I don't know what’s wrong with me but I can't really stop even though I want to. But that's not your fault! You- You don't make me uncomfortable, heck I think  _ I’m  _ the one making you uncomfortable most of the time, but you're so nice that you don't show it and-”

 

“Marine-”

 

“And I really,  _ really _ want to get to know you better, I truly do, but I have no idea how to since I’m such a mess with talking and-”

 

“Marinette!” Luka gripped her shoulders, squeezing them slowly, and made her look at him. When their gazes met, he said, “Do as I do.” He took a deep inhale through his nose and held it.

 

Marinette, after being unfrozen, followed his instructions.

 

He blew the air through his mouth steadily.

 

Marinette also repeated it.

 

“Good.” Luka smiled. “Feeling better?”

 

“Y-Yeah.”

 

“Good.” He nodded. He then noticed that he still had his hands on her. Blushing a tiny bit, he let go. This close, he was a bit self-conscious that he smelled like sweat, so he put some distance between them again. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say.”

 

“No, no, it's okay.” Marinette twirled one of her pigtails absentmindedly. He suddenly had the urge to play with the other one as well, but held himself in check. “I’m just a big mess when it comes to…”

 

When she trailed off, he tilted his head, curious. “To what?” He whispered.

 

“Nevermind.” She looked up at him, a sheepish smile gracing her features. “Uh, so, those croissants?”

 

“Oh, yeah.” He’d almost forgotten about his sister's order. After grabbing a few of them, plus a couple of eclairs for himself, he paid at the cash register, all the while his curiosity still nagging at him at the back of his mind. What was she about to say, exactly? He had a feeling that it would be something important, but he figured that he’d caused her enough distress for the evening. Swallowing his unanswered question, he raised his hand in a wave. “Well, I’ll be going now. See you later.”

 

“Right! Bye!” Marinette waved back. “Say hi to Juleka and your mom for me!”

 

Oh, he’ll do more to Juleka than just say a short greeting.

 

He didn't let the thought show on his face, however. With one more smile, he went out to the darkening world outside, making his way home, with only the purr of his motorcycle engine keeping him company.

 

And once he dropped his impromptu groceries onto the kitchen counter, he spotted his sister emerging from the bathroom, already in her pajamas, a towel around her head. Upon seeing him, she squealed and made a mad dash towards the other end of the hall, with him in hot pursuit.

 

Thankfully for Luka, their doors didn't have a proper lock, so he entered her bedroom without any obstacles. She launched herself onto her bed, laughing maniacally now, a rare sight for him, and he took some time to bask in her happiness. Well, it was two seconds, really, with him panting from their chase, until he grabbed her pillow and started hitting her with it. “JULEKAAAA!” He was shouting, never ceasing his assault.

 

“Ahahaha!” Juleka curled into a protective ball, her giggles growing louder and louder with each fluffy hit. “H-Ho-how’d she r-react to your s-s-sm-smell?” She managed to hiccup in between cackles.

 

“I HATE YOU!”

 

“Gooo awayyy!” Juleka started kicking him, but he held them at bay, trading the pillow for her ankles, and he too couldn't stop his laughter from bubbling up his chest. “Nooo, MOOOOM!”

 

“You’re not getting away with this!” He lunged at her, dropping his weight onto her, and he wiggled his fingers over her sides, hence making her squirm and laugh even louder - the loudest he’d ever heard from her. He decided that he wanted to hear it much, much more often. “You’re the woooorst, you know that?!”

 

“Noh- no- nooo, st- stah- aha- stop!” Juleka was struggling to get him off her, but her frantic laughing kept her from doing so. She was literally weak and in tears. “Lu-Luh-ka! Ahahaha!”

 

“What’s with all the noise down here?” Their mother materialized at the doorway. When she saw them, she adjusted her glasses, as if she wasn't sure that the scene before her was real. “What in Neptune's name are you two up to?” Her motherly scold was ruined with a chuckle.

 

“Mo- muh- ahaha- mom, hhalp!” Juleka rolled over to her stomach now, but it didn't deter her older brother from continuing his torture game. She shoved him, which worked for a split second, but he kept on coming, his crazy laugh almost matching her own.

 

Anarka shook her head at the sight of her two children. “Don't wet the bed, my little coral.” Was all she said before she too bursted into a pirate-y guffaw.

 

Juleka wailed, followed by a swift kick to Luka’s abdomen, which sent him back and onto the mattress. She yelled in triumph, grabbed her discarded pillow from the floor, and began repaying her beloved sibling the treatment that he had previously given her. She hit him a lot harder than he had, but that did not lessen his joy, if his increasing laughter was any indication.

 

“Mooom!” It was Luka’s turn to wail. “Get her off me!”

 

“A real pirate knows how to defend himself!” Their mother said, a splitting grin plastered on. “Especially if tis  _ two _ opponents that he faces!”

 

Before he could properly react, he felt a second pillow being landed repeatedly onto his face. “Oh my  _ god,  _ mom! How could you!”

 

“Get him, lassie!” Anarka cackled to her daughter.

 

“Aye, aye, mom!”

 

He groaned and snorted and chuckled simultaneously, if it were even possible. He really had one weird family - a family that was always out to get him, apparently.

 

And he wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me I'm not the only one who was disappointed with the lack of family interactions in the last episode? Well, either way, I fixed it :3


	4. Morning Scares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all.
> 
> I graduated high school :3

“Jules,” Luka called from the living room. “Are you ready yet?”

 

“In a minute!” He heard her quiet voice from somewhere in the kitchen.

 

“We're gonna be late!” He pulled the strap of his backpack higher up his shoulder, his free hand tossing his keys impatiently.

 

“No, we’re not!”

 

“Oh, just hurry uuuup.”

 

A clang, followed by some shuffling and footsteps. A second later, his sister emerged from the curtain of beads that separated the kitchen from the main room, holding a paper bag in one hand. Her mouth was occupied by a croissant. She brushed past him in a flurry of purple and unintelligible muttering.

 

“What was that?” He asked, picking up his helmet from the sofa.

 

She removed her breakfast from between her lips with one hand before looking at him with a deadpan expression. “I said, 'you don't have to take me to school if it bothers you so much,  _ dummy’.” _

 

“Such language!” Luka gasped dramatically, a hand to his chest. “You’re spending way too much time with that Kubdel girl.”

 

In response, she took the helmet that he was carrying and walked out the door with a “hmph!”.

 

“Hey! That one's mine!” Luka huffed.

 

“Don’t be such a baby!” Juleka poked her head in as she stuck out her tongue at him. “Come on, aren't we going to be late?”

 

Ughhh. The pain. “Yeah, yeah, hold on.” He fetched another helmet from the floor, not paying much attention to what he had just picked. He put it on and met his sister at the door. He eyed the paper bag with a raised eyebrow. “Aww, sis, you shouldn’t have~” he made to grab the object from her, but her reflexes were getting better. The next thing he knew, she was holding it up over her head and away from his playful hands.

 

She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not impressed with his morning antics. “This isn't for you,” she said flatly.

 

“You wound me, Jules.” He sniffed as he made a move to start his motorcycle. “And here I thought you were gonna thank me for agreeing to take you to school today.”

 

“First of all,” she took a bite from her croissant, and then pointed the remaining piece at him accusingly. “ _ You _ were the one that insisted. Which is weird, by the way.” She shoved the croissant closer to his face when he was about to protest, effectively silencing him. “And second, consider Marinette as my 'thank you’ or whatever.”

 

“Whaaaaat?” Luka coughed, hoping to play it off as an effect from the smoke his vehicle was emitting. “How does Marinette fit into this?”

 

Juleka gave him a look so dry that he was sure half of his bodily fluids had evaporated. He cleared his throat before getting on his motorcycle. “Coming?” He asked, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

 

But if the scoff she made was anything to go by, he guessed that he had failed to do so. Without a word, she sat behind him and finished her food in one mouthful.

 

As they shouted their goodbyes to their mother, who was standing on the deck and unraveling rope, they sped away into the streets.

 

Juleka tightened her hold around his abdomen when he veered a bit too sharply to the right. “Slow down, you’re gonna get us killed!” Juleka yelled over the wind.

 

“This is how I always- GAHH!”

 

The motorcycle's tyres squealed against the road as Luka slammed the brakes. Their vehicle rattled once after they came to a complete halt, a mere few inches in front of a car. They were in the middle of an intersection, and Luka had been a little late to see the upcoming car from the other direction.

 

The teenage boy’s heart stuttered as he saw the driver get out of his car. “Oh, noo…” Luka groaned. He turned back to his wide-eyed little sister and smiled apologetically. “Listen, Jules, get off for a sec, okay? I’m gonna go talk to him.”

 

After a moment's pause, she nodded and did as she was told. She stepped back a bit, and in turn her brother moved closer to the  _ very big _ man looming over them with a look of distaste.

 

Well. Shit.

 

“I-I’m so sorry, sir. I was in a hurry and didn't pay attention to the road-”

 

A growl from the older man.

 

Luka gulped, but took a calming breath to steady himself. “But there was no damage, was there? I honestly think that the situation isn't-”

 

“Luka?”

 

The blue-haired boy turned to the new voice. Peering around the large man’s body, he saw a familiar face climbing out of the same car. Green eyes met his blue ones, confusion and shock all wrapped into one.

 

“Adrien?” Luka exclaimed. “S’that you?”

 

“Yeah! Oh, um, Gorilla, it's okay.” The blond turned to his driver. “He’s my friend.”

 

The look that 'Gorilla’ gave him suggested that he wasn't particularly appeased with that statement.

 

“He didn't mean any harm,” Adrien tried again with a smile. “Right, Luka?”

 

“Uh, yeah!” Luka nodded. “I’m very, very sorry sir.”

 

Another two seconds passed with Adrien's driver glaring at the older of the two, but he eventually turned away, grumbling, and hopped back in to the car.

 

Luka heaved a sigh of relief. “Yo, thanks for that.” Luka moved forward and raised his hand up.

 

Adrien in turn clapped his own palm against his. “Sure, no harm done.” Adrien laughed. “And uh, sorry about him. He doesn't socialize much.”

 

“No kidding.” Luka hid his chuckle behind his fingers as to not alert the object of their conversation.

 

Juleka poked her head over her brother's shoulder. “Hi, Adrien.”

 

“Aaahh!” Adrien jumped back in alarm, his arms thrown out in front of him protectively. After a split second of recognition, he sighed heavily. “Oh, it's you, Juleka. You scared me.”

 

“She gets that a lot.” Luka laughed as a punch was landed on to his arm. “Well, anyways, I guess we all should get going?”

 

“Yeah, I suppo-”

 

A blaring honk from behind him.

 

Adrien groaned. With a sheepish grin, he shrugged and gestured towards his car. “That's my cue. See you at school, Juleka.”

 

“Rad.” Juleka smirked.

 

“And see you… around, I guess?” Adrien laughed unsurely at Luka.

 

“Yeah, around.” Luka waved as their friend clambered back into his car. The two siblings watched him go before going back to their own ride.

 

Upon arriving at Dupont, Juleka immediately hopped off and greeted Rose who had been waiting by the steps. The taller girl patted the other's head affectionately before handing her the paperbag that she had brought from home. The petite blonde kissed her cheek in return.

 

“Jules!” Luka felt a bit bad for breaking their sweet bubble, but nonetheless pressed on. “The helmet?”

 

She seemed to have forgotten about it, if her startled expression meant anything. After removing it from her head, she tossed it into the air, making it spin a few times before finally landing into Luka’s firm grip.

 

A whistle sounded to his right.

 

He blinked as a certain redhead walked up to him. She adjusted her glasses and grinned at him. “Nice catch, rockstar,” she said smoothly.

 

“Thank you.” Luka racked his brain for her name as he removed his own helmet, and it came to him quickly. “Alya, was it?”

 

“The one and only.” She made a show of bowing. “Soooo, you're taking our Juleka to school from now on?”

 

“Well, I’ll try to.  _ If she's not a pain. _ ” He raised his voice at the last sentence, making sure that the person in question heard him. To his delight, she did, and she stuck out her tongue at him. He chuckled at her display.

 

“Why so sudden, though?” To his surprise, she was still continuing their conversation. Not that he minded per se, but there was something about that gleam in her eyes that made him cautious.

 

“Nothing, really. Just thought that I’d start now, while I still have the chance.”

 

Alya hummed at his answer. He could practically see invisible gears turning in her head. “That's pretty nice of you! So, are you going now or are you…?”

 

There was a funny feeling in his gut for some reason that he didn't quite understand. “Well, I… I’m not in any hurry, exactly…” He wanted to see if he could catch Marinette this morning before school started, but he couldn't very well say that outloud.

 

“Gonna wait for your sister to go to class?” Alya inquired.

 

Ah, an opening. “Mm-hmm. Just looking out for her, is all.”

 

“Awww, what a cool brother!”

 

He smiled politely at her compliment.

 

“Well, I’d better go and do some girl stuff. See you, Luka!” She waved at him, to which he returned, and sprinted up the steps to where Juleka and Rose were.

 

However, to his growing suspicion, they didn't move to enter the building. Alya was saying something to the girls, and he watched as Juleka nodded and Rose jump up and down in what seemed to be excitement. The three of them remained at the top of the steps, just a few feet away from the open doors, but still hanging around for… no reason in particular, as far as he could deduct.

 

It was true that he had planned to wait a few more minutes for a glimpse of the pigtailed girl, but having an audience hadn't been in his agenda. And he couldn't really book it and save it for another day, for he had told Alya that he would be waiting for his sister to enter her class. Not many options for him, then. 

 

Biting his lip, he decided that they weren't going to move anytime soon, so he fished his phone out of his pocket. His friend at school, Bridgette, had apparently texted him, asking where he was, and that she needed some help with the new guy _ again _ . He pitied the poor boy - Felix, he remembered - momentarily before shooting a text back.

 

Not long after he hit 'send’, a loud “Hey, Marinette!” echoed through his ears.

 

He immediately perked up, stowed his phone back in place, and turned around to find that  _ yes _ , Marinette was making her way over, a white box in hand.

 

When she saw him, she made a soft squeak and stopped in her tracks. Her cheeks turned visibly pink. His smile grew all the more fonder at the sight. “Oh, good morning, Ma-ma-marinette.” He couldn't help but tease.

 

The second she heard that familiar nickname, she scowled, but the blush remained all the same, if not even darker. “Morning, Lu-lu-luka,” she replied.

 

“Eh. Doesn't have the same ring to it, I’m afraid.” He shrugged, earning himself a roll of her eyes. “Whaddya have there?”

 

“Oh, this?” She raised the white box higher. “Some macaroons that my father made. Would you like one?”

 

A snack. From Marinette herself? “Sweet, don't mind if I do.” He picked one of the colorful confectioneries in the box and popped it into his mouth.

 

A pause. “Was that a pun?”

 

He tossed the idea around in his head as he chewed. “I guess it was.” He snorted. “Why? You like puns?”

 

A small smile tugged at her lips. “You could say that.”

 

His heart skipped at the warm look that her blue eyes casted suddenly. She appeared to be lost in thought, and her smile was absolutely glorious to stare at. He wondered if she’d ever look at him like that someday.

 

“I’ll keep it in mind that you like them, then,” he said earnestly. “Maybe make it a habit to say some even.”

 

“Oh, that's nice, but I’m good.” She giggled. “My friend already has that job covered quite nicely.”

 

Hmm. He was no genius, but he would bet money that she had been thinking about that  _ friend  _ when she made that face. “Cool.” He tried to keep his small wave of jealousy at bay. No point in that, at least not right now, he reminded himself. “And, uhh, I think your other friends are waiting.” He pointed to the three girls above them, who were huddling together and grinning widely and very not-so-subtly watching them.

 

Marinette waved at them, a bit uneasy at their odd behavior. “Should I be worried?” She asked, not taking her eyes off her group.

 

“Honestly?” Luka shuddered. “That's my line.”

 

“Oh, no.” Marinette's shoulders sagged, a dejected look gracing her features. “What did Alya do?”

 

“How did you know that it was Alya?” He scoffed, a bit surprised at her fast conclusion.

 

“She's a reporter.” Was all the explanation that she gave, complete with a nonchalant shrug. “Anyways,  _ what did that little fox do _ ?”

 

He chuckled at her choice of words. Such a funny girl, this Marinette. “Nothing serious, I promise. We just had a conversation.”

 

“Abooout?”

 

“Nothing.” Luka waved her curious gaze off with a dismissive hand. “She just scares me for some reason.” He finished it was crooked grin.

 

“Oh, trust me. I feel the same way sometimes.” She smiled. Her blue eyes wandered to the helmet that he had in his hands, and she abruptly gave a snort.

 

Luka raised an eyebrow. “What?”

 

“I, uhh…” She grinned and pointed to the object in his hold. “I didn't know you were a Ladybug fan.”

 

Instantly, he inspected the helmet that he had worn, and to his surprise, he had indeed taken his  _ I LOVE LB  _ helmet, which was decorated in red with black spots all over the surface. He faintly blushed, coughing into his fist. “W-Well, everybody in Paris loves her. I’m no exception.”

 

She giggled, much more cheery than before. He loved that sound so much that he decided he’d compose something dedicated to it. “That's… that's pretty n-neat.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear sheepishly, a shade of red that rivaled his helmet creeping up her face.

 

His phone decided to give a ping at that moment, which reminded him that he still had his own school to go to. “Ah, sorry. As much as I want to stay, I should really get going.”

 

“Oh! Right!” She nodded vigorously. “Uhm, I-I really wished you went here, you know- oh, not that I have a weird motive or anything, just that it’d be way easier for you to be here, w-with your sister and all!”

 

He laughed shortly at her rambling. They should really work on that a bit more. “It’d be cool, but I don't think that would work.”

 

“Why- um, why not?” She tilted her head curiously at his answer.

 

He smirked at her. “This is collège, isn't it? I go to lycée.”

 

“Y-Y-You do?!” Marinette gasped.

 

“Uh-huh. Well, catch you later, Marinette!” He shouted over the roar of his engine, and moments later, he was speeding off down the road.

 

Meanwhile, Marinette was left blinking and gaping at the sidewalk.

 

After a full ten seconds of her state, she bolted up the stairs to where her friends were. Before they could greet (or tease) her, she shoved her box of macaroons into Rose’s arms and made a grab at Juleka’s shoulders.

 

“H-How old is your brother?!” Marinette almost shrieked.

 

“U-Uh, s-six-sixteen?” Juleka answered in between shakes.

 

“S-Sixteen?” Marinette covered her mouth and nose with her palms, releasing her stunned friend in the process, and made a muffled squealing sound. “Ohhhh my gosssh.”

 

“Uhhhhh, you okay there, Mari?” Alya poked her unsurely.

 

“Does she need a cold drink?” Rose asked.

 

“No…” Marinette took a deep breath and fanned herself with her hands. “J-Just that I, um, didn't expect him t-to be that much older than us.”

 

“He’s just two years older…” Juleka murmured quietly.

 

“He’s in  _ lycée _ !” Marinette moaned.

 

“Oh, yeah!” Rose chirped. “I forgot about that, too.”

 

Alya purred in approval. “Wow, you sure scored big, huh Marinette?” She idly grabbed one of the macaroons from her box and tossed it into her mouth. “I think this calls for another meeting!”

 

“Meeting?” Marinette furrowed her brows. “What meeting?”

 

“Oh, sorry, I didn't mean you.”

 

“Wha-?!”

 

“Rose, can you tell Mylene to meet us at the hideout?” Alya whipped out her phone at that moment, furiously typing something out. “Oh! I think we should get Alix in as well. Juleka, be a doll?”

 

“Sure,” both Rose and Juleka said in union.

 

“Hey- What about  _ me _ ?” Marinette demanded. “What meeting?!”

 

“No time to talk, girl.” Alya pressed one more button on her phone and finally looked at her, a shit-eating grin plastered on. “Well, okay,  _ maybe _ we'll talk about it tonight.”

 

“But you guys- you guys are gonna talk about it right now, aren't you?” Marinette hurried after her retreating friends. “Come on, what gives? What are you guys planning?”

 

“It’d be better if it came as a surprise,” Rose replied for her. “Aren't surprises great?”

 

“No!”

 

“Too bad~” Alya sang as she walked away faster, bringing the two other girls in tow. “See ya in class, Mari!”

 

Before she could even cry at them, they were off and about, splitting up at the hallways and rendering her speechless.

 

~0~0~

 

“It’s about time you ladies roped me in on another mission!” Alix propped up her feet onto the table before her and folded her hands behind her head, relaxing into one of the study room’s chairs as she regarded the group. “So, what's it gonna be this time? Invade the Agreste mansion? Steal one of his diamonds and make Marinette give it back to him?”

 

“No, nothing of the sort!” Alya scoffed as she flipped open her laptop.

 

“Isn't that a crime, too?” Mylene inquired hesitantly.

 

Alix shrugged. “Meh, only if you get caught. So, if it isn't that, then what?”

 

“New target.” Alya turned the laptop’s screen to Alix, making the latter’s eyes bulge. “Look familiar?”

 

“Ain't that the guitar dude from your boat concert?” Alix turned to Juleka. “I mean, he’s hot and all-”

 

“Ugh, no.” The emo girl shuddered. “Please don't say that.”

 

“Why not? I’d totes get into his pants if I could-”

 

“GROSS!” Juleka gagged. “I don't need that mental image of my brother, thank you.”

 

“He’s your  _ bro _ ?” Alix’s mouth fell to the table. “Shit, remind me to be your group partner more often.”

 

“We're getting off topic here!” Alya huffed. “Anyways, he’s off limits, Alix. This is Marinette's new meat.”

 

“Whoooaaa.” Alix whistled. “Talk about sayonara to Agreste, huh?”

 

“You aren't surprised?” Rose piped up, clearly taken aback like the others were.

 

Alix shrugged again. “Kinda saw it coming. She hasn't been making many moves on Adrien lately, has she?”

 

“No, she hasn't,” Alya confirmed. “That’s because  _ this,”  _ she pointed to Luka’s picture displayed on her laptop, “is keeping her occupied.”

 

“Don't blame her. Well, details aside for now, what's this we got going on? And is there a reason we're hiding out in the library and  _ not _ in the courtyard like usual?”

 

“We don't want Marinette to be involved. Yet.” Mylene answered with a cringe. “Well, that's what I gathered, anyways.”

 

“She’ll shut down our  _ amazing  _ plan right before we get to the first phase.” Alya said. “I know her, and if this is anywhere near like her crush with Adrien, then the first few days are going to be tough and filled with self-doubt. Which is  _ why _ we gotta spring this on her in a very low-key way.” Alya eyed Alix at that last part. “And I do mean, very _ , very _ low-key.”

 

“Gotcha.” Alix gave a mock salute.

 

“So, from what we got this morning, Luka-” Alya gestured to the screen again, “-is attending lycée, just a few blocks away.” Alya tapped her keyboard, and the image switched to a picture of a big building.

 

“Hey, that's my brother's old school,” Alix mused. “Cool. I know the inside of it pretty damn well.”

 

“Oh, I had a feeling you did.” Alya smirked, pushing her glasses higher up her nose. “Which is why I need you in this operation. You’re gonna have to infiltrate the area and make contact with the target.”

 

Alix gave a nod.

 

Alya pointed a finger at Juleka. “And  _ you’re  _ gonna be our information storage.”

 

“I… don't have a storage, though.” Juleka mumbled.

 

“No, girl, I mean we need you to tell us about your brother. What class he’s in, what he does after school, that sort of thing.”

 

“Oh. Got it.”

 

“And Rose and Mylene,” Alya turned to the startled pair. “You’ll be in charge of easing our Marinette into the plan.”

 

“Isn't that usually your gig?” Alix interrupted.

 

“Yes, but Marinette won’t listen to me, particularly today, because I 'make crazy schemes most of the time’.” Alya rolled her eyes. “Whatever that means.”

 

The others shared a look, but didn't dare comment.

 

“Besides, if it's Rose and Mylene, our softies, then there's a higher chance she’ll listen.” Alya snapped her fingers, delight sparking in her eyes. “It’s foolproof!”

 

“Aaaand what's your role in this?” Alix asked, her smirk widening as she stared at the redhead.

 

“Oh, you’ll see in a minute.” Alya tapped her keyboard again. She basked in the flabbergasted looks that her friends made at the new sight her laptop showed. “Girls,” she whispered slowly, “Get your asses together. Operation Lukanette is a go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeaaaah, not much is happening in this chapter, but next time, we'll be seeing more shenanigans! Wohoo!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think in the comments and show some love '3'
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr as Irakirih


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